UPDATED: Marvel Announces WHAT IF? Specials and Issue #200

9/17 UPDATE: Marvel has announced the fifth 2010 What If? one-shot, What If? Iron Man: Demon in an Armor, marking the return of Bob Layton & David Michelinie to the character.

WHAT IF? IRON MAN: DEMON IN AN ARMOR

Story by Bob
Layton & David MichelinIe

Written by DAVID MICHELINIE

Penciled
by GRAHAM NOLAN

Cover by BOB LAYTON

Back-Up Story By RICK
REMENDER & SHAWN MOLL

Would Tony Stark still be Iron Man...if he wasn't Tony
Stark? Twenty years ago, in a college experiment gone bad, the young
Stark's mind is transferred to the body of impoverished but brilliant
fellow student, Victor von Doom! Blamed for the unsanctioned research,
his memory wiped clean, Tony is deported and forced to face life as a
disgraced Latverian commoner. Meanwhile, von Doom grows and flourishes
in the wealth and privilege of being sole heir to Stark Industries.
Thus, in separate cauldrons on different sides of the world, both Iron
Man and Dr. Doom are forged anew. But who are the men inside the
armors...really? Find out in "WHAT IF TONY STARK HAD BECOME DR. DOOM?",
co-plotted and written by David Michelinie ("IRON MAN: THE END"),
pencilled by Graham Nolan ("X-MEN FOREVER") and co-plotted and inked by
Bob Layton ("HERCULES: TWILIGHT OF A GOD"). PLUS, What If: The Venom
Symbiote Possessed Deadpool - Part 3!

40
PGS./Rated T+ ...$3.99

Original Story: Marvel Comics has announced four new What If? one-shots on their official Web site this week, including an issue #200 that will feature a Stan Lee-written story revisiting the classic "Galactus Trilogy" of Fantastic Four #48-50.
In the What If #200 back-up, Lee and recent Fantastic Four artist Dale
Eaglesham revisit the legendary original appeareance of Galactus and the Silver Surfer, but this time the Watcher
elects to break his vow of non-interference in a big way and murder the
planet eater.
The lead story of that comic is "What If Norman Osborn Won the Siege of Asgard?" by writer Marc Guggenheim and artist Dave Wilkins, with Sentry successfully controlling the Void and Dr. Doom teaming with the X-Men to oppose Osborn's forces.
How'd they get to 200 issues? The original What If? ran for 47 issues from 1977 to 1984, followed by the What If? Special in 1988. The second ongoing series lasted 114 issues, from 1989 to 1998. The concept went dormant for a few years until 2005, which saw the release of six What If? one-shots. Since then, What If? specials have appeared roughly annually — six in early 2006 and five in late 2006, five in 2007, the What If? This Was The Fantastic Four Special in 2008 and five more each in December 2008 and December 2009.
Add that all up, and you've got 195 issues of What If? — throw in the the four announced this week and you've got 199, implying that there will be one more announced soon by Marvel, probably on Friday.
Like the main section of #200, the other three new What If? one-shots all find their inspiration in recent Marvel events. What If? Dark Reign - The Osborn Assassination sees Hawkeye killing Norman Osborn at the height of his power in a comic by Jason Henderson and Sana Takeda; What If? Spider-Man, from Marc Sable and Paul Azaceta, asks "What If Spider-Man Killed Kraven the Hunter?" at the end of the recently wrapped "Grim Hunt" story; and in What If? Wolverine: Father writer Rob Williams and artist Greg Tocchini present a reality where Wolverine was active in the raising of Daken.
No release dates have been announced yet for these comics, but with December solicitations coming early next week, it seems likely that these will surface that month — much like the last two years of What If? one-shots.
The original two runs of What If? contained such memorable stories as "What If Wolverine Had Killed The Hulk" (volume 1, #31) and the introduced of the May Parker Spider-Girl and the MC2 Universe in volume 2, #105. Some, like "What If Spider-Man's Clone Lived?" (volume 1, #30) turned out to be prophetic; some, like "What If Wolverine Was Lord of the Vampires?" (volume 2, #24) were downright wacky.
Recent What If? one-shots have typically involved alternate endings of significant Marvel Comics stories like House of M and Annhilation.
Full solicitation information from Marvel.com follows:

WHAT IF? #200

Written by MARC GUGGENHEIM & STAN LEE

Penciled by DAVE WILKINS & DALE EAGLESHAM

Cover by DAVE WILKINS

Finally, celebrate the historic 200th issue of What If? Since debuting
in 1977, What If? has become a corner staple in the Marvel Universe by
spotlighting "the road not traveled" by many of its heroes &
villains as well as the domino effect that the point of divergence
creates. What If? 200 offers two titanic tales- the main story is one
with a different POV on Siege, "What If Norman Osborn Won the Siege of
Asgard?" What if the Sentry didn't lose control of the Void during
battle, allowing for the Siege to ultimately decimate our heroes? With
Osborn on top of the world, only one force stands in his way: Doom...
and he's not alone as he rebuilds the Cabal with the X-Men?! By Marc
Guggenheim and Dave Wilkins. The second tale is one that will be talked
about amongst the multiverse: the murder of Galactus at the hands
of...the WATCHER!?! Based on the events in the classic "Coming of
Galactus" storyline in 'FANTASTIC FOUR #48-50,' this one is written by
none other than the scribe of those original stories, Stan "The Man"
Lee, himself. Joining him is recent FF artist, Dale Eaglesham. If there
is only one back-up story you'll read this year, true believers, it must
be this one!

64 PGS./Rated T+ ...$4.99

WHAT IF? DARK REIGN - THE OSBORN ASSASSINATION

Written by JASON HENDERSON

Penciled by SANA TAKEDA

Cover by MIKE DEODATO

Before the events of Siege, long-time Avenger Clint Barton (aka Hawkeye)
sought to take matters into his own hands and kill Norman Osborn
himself. Why should a menace like Osborn be allowed the chance to live?
Slay the monster, save the kingdom...right? The kill shot is just the
beginning in this twisted tale of conspiracy and intrigue that takes
Dark Reign to even blacker depths. What's the worst that could happen?
See for yourself in this one-shot from Jason Henderson and Sana Takeda.

40 PGS./Rated T+ ...$3.99

WHAT IF? SPIDER-MAN

Written by MARK SABLE

Penciled by PAUL AZACETA

Cover by PHIL JIMENEZ

WHAT IF SPIDER-MAN KILLED KRAVEN THE HUNTER? At the rollicking conclusion of this year's modern classic GRIM HUNT, the Amazing Spider-Man had his undead arch-foe Sergei Kravinoff at his mercy - and let him live. But what if Spider-Man had crossed the line from hero to killer? See how one fatal decision changes the life of a man and the people he loves! By Mark Sable (Unthinkable) and Paul Azaceta!

40 PGS./Rated T+ ...$3.99

WHAT IF? WOLVERINE: FATHER

Written by ROB WILLIAMS

Penciled by GREG TOCCHINI

Cover by LEINIL FRANCIS YU

Back-Up Story By RICK REMENDER & SHAWN MOLL

If there's one person who shouldn't raise a child, it's a berserker
killing machine. In the regular Marvel Universe, Logan wasn't there for
Daken, and his son grew up to become the murderous Dark Wolverine. But
what would have happened if Logan had known of Daken's existence as a
child, and had taken him under his wing from his first moments? Can a
child with Logan's blood running through his veins ever turn his back on
murder? Can Logan find redemption and be a good father? Raising Daken
will be Wolverine's greatest battle. PLUS, What If: The Venom Symbiote
Possessed Deadpool - Part 2!